Given

Given (2020)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


While the TV series is mostly about Mafuyu and Ritsuka, the movie focuses more on Akihiko and Haruki. The events do directly follow the TV series, so it's best to watch that first to have a better foundation for what the characters are talking about and what is happening, though there are some references and short flashbacks to help fill in some of the gaps. Unsure if there may ever be more in the anime realm for this series, and the manga would be missing the actual music you can hear, but it may still be worth diving into the series to see what else may be in store for these characters.

Given

Given (2019)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


This has been on my to-watch list for awhile. I'm glad I finally watched it, but it was so enjoyable with the music and relatable characters that I'm now stuck wanting more. The TV series focuses mostly on Mafuyu, and his growth as he learns about music and learns to move on from the trauma in his past. A large part of that growth comes from his growing relationship with Ritsuka, who he latches onto rather early on.

"It's stuck deep inside me and I can't get it out of my head. Mafuyu's voice is an insane and dangerous weapon." That day, Ritsuka Uenoyama started to feel that playing the guitar and playing basketball, both of which he liked very much, were becoming boring. He then encounters Mafuyu Sato, who's holding onto a broken guitar, and decides to fix it. The moment Uenoyama finishes fixing the guitar, Mafuyu becomes completely attached to him. However, after hearing Mafuyu sing it leaves a deep impression on him. - IMDB